1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to trailers for hauling goods and, in one particular embodiment, to a trailer having a conveyor to assist in loading and unloading the goods.
2. Technical Considerations
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art of transporting goods, particularly by trailer trucks, a significant amount of time and energy is expended in loading and unloading goods from the trailer. In a conventional trailer truck, for example, the trailer is positioned at a loading dock and goods are wheeled or carried into the trailer. Typically, the trailer is loaded starting at the front end of the trailer and working toward the rear of the trailer until the trailer is full. This means that workers loading the trailer enter at the open rear of the trailer and carry the goods the length of the trailer until they reach the front wall to deposit the goods. Then they must walk all the way back through the trailer, exit the open rear of the trailer, gather more goods, and carry these new goods the length of the trailer back to the front wall or at least back to the position where the first load of goods was positioned. This is a very time consuming and labor intensive operation.
After the trailer is loaded, it is transported, typically by a truck, to a destination for unloading. The trailer can once again be positioned at a loading dock and the rear doors of the trailer opened. Workers begin to unload the goods from the rear of the trailer. However, as more and more goods are unloaded, the workers must walk farther and farther into the interior of the trailer to reach the goods and then carry them the length of the trailer and out the rear doors. This unloading procedure can continue until the last load of goods positioned at the front wall of the trailer is reached. The workers have to haul these final goods all the way along the length of the trailer and out the open rear doors. This unloading procedure is just as time consuming and labor intensive as the loading procedure.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a container, such as a trailer, that reduces or eliminates at least some of the problems associated with loading and unloading conventional trailers.